If you were expecting a biopic of the legendary American children’s television personality Mister Rogers in A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood then you will sorely disappointed with Marielle Heller’s film. That’s not to say that this isn’t a fantastic piece of work – it’s just different to what was expected, 100% for the good.
Tom Hanks stars as Mister Rogers in TriStar Pictures’ A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. Photo by: Lacey Terrell – Courtesy Of TIFF
Tom Hanks assumes the role of Fred Rogers, the Pittsburgh-based personality who was a stalwart on television sets for over five decades. He was loved all over North America, achieving icon status and became known as America’s dad, loved by children all over the world. The character of Rogers is more of a supporting role here, the main focus of the brilliantly scripted piece by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster honing in on Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys), a journalist at Esquire magazine who is assigned a ‘hero’ piece for an upcoming issues. He is to visit Rogers at his production facility and craft a 400-word article on the TV legend. However, being an investigative journalist, Lloyd soon realises that there is much more to the TV presenter than first meets the eye, and a much more expanded piece on Rogers may be more suitable and he sets about looking more closely at Rogers saint-like status for a bigger article, even though his editor hasn’t commissioned it specifically.
At home, Lloyd is a new father, but he seems to be struggling with the new edition, wife Andrea (Susan Kelechi Watson) taking a step back from her career as a public service attorney to look after their months-old son, Gavin. Lloyd is also having extended family issues, and an unwanted reunion with his estranged father – someone he hasn’t seen for over 15 years – at his sister’s wedding, opens up old wounds. The film follows the journey following the Vogel family and how much of an impact this chance meeting with the most-loved man in the western world has on his world.
Won’t You Be My Neighbour was one of the best documentaries to have been released last year, it’s subject being Mister Rogers and his remarkable career. A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood serves as almost a companion piece for that movie, a film looking at the impact of the man and his values on the people he meets, and the influence his television show has had on millions. Set in the late-90s, the dramatic feature will largely play best to an audience that is aware of the legend, who were around during the fifty-plus years that he was on television, but make no mistake, its impact on everyone else will be just as great.
‘Beautiful Day…’ is one of those films that enchants from the off, and very soon into it one realises that tears are slowly beginning to form at the ducts – ones that will remain there for the film’s entirety. In fact, there’s a huge sense of melancholy throughout, the moving plot and its themes part of the emotion roller coaster, but also the sheer reliability of everything that is going on within.
Hanks, naturally, is fantastic, the second most-loved man in the world surely the only actor that could play the role of Rogers. He’s note perfect. In every scene, and the opening sequence is an absolute treat for fans of the original shows. Rhys is equally good, if not more so, the absolute lead of the piece. It’s a career-best performance, one that will gain him huge attention come awards-time. Chris Cooper’s third father figure is also worthy of mention, as too is the strong valued Andrea, played superbly by Watson, an actor I wasn’t familiar with prior to seeing this. My mistake. I will certainly be looking out or her in the future.
A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood is wonderfully made, delicately and lovingly crafted and everything you want a film about Mister Rogers to be. It’s a film that will be worthy or repeat viewings, one that will get you reaching for the tissues every time whether you were part of Fred Rogers’ world or not. The kind of film you just want to snuggle up with your loved ones and cuddle them throughout. Nostalgic, whimsical and beautiful. One of the best films of the year.
A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood was reviewed at TIFF 2019.
